grounded
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Well, things did not turn out perfectly.
The POD was diagnosed with a "failure of the coach disconnect" - which basically meant that we needed a part which had to be ordered from and installed by a licensed Roadtrek dealer. We called the nearest one @ 2 hours away. And they could not help us, because ......and I am NOT making this up.... they had just recently been burned to the ground. Everything gone. They had their technicians on the road doing "house" calls - but it would take at least a week to get the part.
Ugh.
We punted.
We still needed to check out the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax to try and find information on my grandmother. I found us a B&B in Lunenburg - @ 1 hr south of Halifax - a stop that was on our list of places to go. We needed to get some of Nova Scotia in before we folded!
So glad that we made this choice!!
The Pelham House B&B was just perfect. On a quiet street above the bay, this 4 room inn was a welcoming host. We snagged the last room available - the 2 room suite that looked out over the harbor. David and Michael, the hosts, were gracious and inviting and Harry, their dog, made the rounds at breakfast. We could not have imagined a better place to land - needing showers and a bit of pampering...... we allowed the sea breezes to wash over us as we lounged on the day bed.
Once revived we were able to explore the town.
Pelham House B&B
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
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As we walked down to the harbor we spied Ironworks Distillery - Honest, I DID NOT know this was here! They specialize in spirits made from fruit - not grain! - and all sourced locally. Their vodka is made from apples and they have a delicious group of liqueurs; blueberry, raspberry, cranberry and rhubarb. Everything was delicious but the vodka was unique with a very rich, almost butterscotch flavor to it. We sampled everything and we left with a bottle of vodka, rum and a rhubarb esprit!
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Ironworks Distillery
Lunenburg, NS
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Also - I have to say, without a fault - EVERYONE we encountered on this entire trip was SO friendly and interesting! No matter what situation we met them in; whether they be Canadians traveling to the area from other parts of the country, business owners, service people, parks workers, EVERYONE was honestly nice!
Just putting that out there.
There was an article recently (cannot remember where or who wrote it) that stated - "had it not been for the American Revolution...... we could have been Canada."
Worth considering right now.
Lunenburg from the dock, seafood chowder, lobster rolls,
and local beer, a small marina
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Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Easily walkable it is the best surviving example of a planned British settlement still standing in North America. The central harbor has the Bluenose II schooner on display as well as the Museum of Fisheries. The town is filled with great art galleries and small shops and restaurants. At each of the places we dined we enjoyed great seafood and local craft beer. For those that prefer wine - we were told that the Annapolis Valley, the central spine of NS, has become quite the wine region. We had originally planned to drive though that area but the POD was turning into a rolling dumpster - no refrigeration, no water and no way to empty the holding tanks......
We needed to move on.
Lunenburg Harbor and the Bluenose II, a famous schooner
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It would be a two day trek to get home. Tim had called a Roadtrek dealer in MA earlier and they were ordering the part we needed and would have it in by mid week. We said goodbye to Lunenburg and drove north to Halifax. Halifax is a small city on the water - kind of like Boston in many ways. We drove around a bit to get a feel for it - realizing that we really want to return - however, our goal was Pier 21: The Canadian Museum of Immigration. The museum houses the Scotiabank Family History Centre, a free reference service to help you trace your family's immigration story. Literally as we walked in a young woman greeted us, asked what we were looking for and took us over to her computer to begin researching. She probably spent 20 minutes with us but realized that "little" Mary was an enigma and that it was going to take someone with more time to wrestle this information out of the unknown. She gave me the contact information of their full time researchers, whose job it is to uncover the difficult searches. I was no closer to finding Nana's immigration story but I actually felt okay. Maybe the full time researchers could help and maybe her father never declared her in Canada either?! Kind of love the mystery of it all.....
Mary Lucci Spadafora: Off The Grid.
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The museum itself was quite interesting and located on a pier overlooking the harbor, but my favorite part was the special exhibit, Canada: Day 1. Filled with archival images and audio the exhibit relates newcomer experiences on their first day of arrival in Canada from the turn of the century through the present. Included in this is a series of original pieces of art created by Canadian artists who were once immigrants. They were breathtaking and moving.
a wall in the exhibit Canada: Day 1
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And then, sadly and a week too early, we headed home.
What did we love about this trip and what would bring us back?
Cape Breton is gorgeous! The coastline is wild and raw with views as dramatic as the Amalfi coast, and the color of the water is AMAZING! - as blue/green as the Caribbean. Traveling early in the season, while a bit cold at times, was perfect. The mountains were all shades of yellow and green as the newly dressed deciduous trees vied for attention among the pines. And all the pines!! It smelled like Christmas everyday!!
The entire maritime area - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick - is covered with lakes, streams, rivers and waterfalls of all sizes and all of them beautiful. The different sounds each of them made and how cold they were will stay with me. I think Tim recorded each and every one....
The high tides in the Bay of Fundy were awe inspiring and CRAZY! It is difficult to imagine until you actually see it - and so happy that we did.
Of course, the seafood was to die for. P.E.I and Aspy oysters, sweet bay scallops, fresh haddock and cod, maple smoked salmon and lobster rolls that were, basically, the meat of an entire lobster stuck in a grilled bun. Not to mention all the craft beers we discovered - either at a restaurant or by visiting the brewery itself (Big Spruce Brewing in Baddeck (!!!) and Garrison Brewing in Halifax).
And again, I will mention the people. Friendly, welcoming, and oh so agreeable to talk to. And yes, politics was discussed..... a lot.
Museum of Fisheries
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
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We will go back at some point. It's only 12 hours away. One overnight stop. I now want to go to Prince Edward Island and (possibly) Newfoundland.
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